Speaker Kingi sets date for Kawira Mwangaza’s charges hearing after impeachment
By Lutta Njomo, August 13, 2024Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has gazetted a special sitting to hear the charges against Meru County Governor Kawira Mwangaza following her impeachment.
In a notice, Kingi disclosed that senators will convene on Wednesday, August 14, for a special sitting to hear the charges.
According to the Senate Speaker, senators will convene at 2:30 pm to discuss the charges against the embattled Meru Governor.
“The business to be transacted at the sitting shall be the hearing of the charges against Ms. Kawira Mwangaza, the Governor of Meru County.
“In accordance with Standing Order 33 (5) of the Senate Standing Orders, the business specified in this notice shall be the only business before the Senate during the special sitting, following which the Senate shall stand adjourned until Tuesday, 3rd September 2024, at 2:30 p.m. in accordance with the Senate calendar,” Kingi’s notice shared on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, read in part.
Mwangaza’s chance of survival now rests on the Senators who rescued her following her previous impeachments.
The @Senate_KE will hold a special sitting tomorrow, Wednesday, August 14th, 2024, to hear charges against Hon Kawira Mwangaza, the Governor of #MeruCounty. This follows the approval by the County Assembly of Meru of a motion for her removal from office by impeachment. pic.twitter.com/SnwJ51QXie
— Rt. Hon. Amason Jeffah Kingi, EGH. (@HonAmasonKingi) August 13, 2024
Mwangaza impeached
Last Thursday, August 8, 2024, members of the Meru County Assembly impeached Mwangaza for the third time as 49 MCAs voted in support of the ouster motion.
During last week’s voting, three MCAs did not vote to remove Governor Mwangaza from office, while 17 others voted against the motion.
That was the fifth attempt to eject Mwangaza from office, although now she has been impeached three times.
Mover of the motion
The impeachment bid was moved by Zipporah Kinya, the deputy majority leader, who pointed an accusing finger at Governor Mwangaza of gross violation of the constitution and other laws, misconduct, and abuse of office.
The first-time governor is accused of failing to appoint the chairpersons of various boards, such as the Meru County Revenue Board and the Meru Microfinance Corporation, and the revocation of Virginia Miriti’s appointment as the county secretary without a vote of not less than 75 per cent of all the Meru MCAs.
Moreover, she is faulted for paying emergency call allowances to 161 doctors and medical officers using the wrong rates, leading to excessive payments of Ksh74.3 million and using a manual payroll to pay personnel emoluments amounting to Ksh102.9 million.
The mover of the motion, Kinya, further accused Governor Mwangaza of paying a bloated workforce.